Wastewater system generates energy, produces drinking water

A Michigan
State University
researcher is using a $1.92 million Department of Defense grant to develop a
portable wastewater treatment system that could improve the military’s
efficiency.

The solar-bio-nano project, which is being spearheaded by
Wei Liao, an MSU assistant professor of biosystems and agricultural
engineering, also will generate energy and produce drinking water, providing a
potential blueprint for the future of municipal/agricultural wastewater
treatment systems.

During military operations, shipping from port to bases
on or near the front lines can push the cost of water up to nearly $60 per
gallon. A portable, self-sustaining system would allow the bases to be more
nimble and cost effective, Liao says.

"Bases on or near the front lines could transport this
small-scale system by semi-truck and will greatly reduce their demand for water
and fuel," he says. "The integrated system can serve about 600 people, is
patentable and hopefully can be scaled up to serve larger populations."

The integrated system will comprise three major
components. First, the solar unit will use new materials and employ a novel
configuration making it up to 80% lighter than traditional solar units. Second,
biological conversion processes will break down wastewater and food scraps to
produce methane that can be used as fuel. Finally, a nano-filtration system
will then take the discharge from the biological processes to provide drinking
water.

If the team's project proves effective in military
settings, it has great potential in a wide range of wastewater treatment
systems, from agricultural operations to municipal wastewater treatment plants,
Liao says.

"The short-term goal is to drive
costs down and to allow the military to alleviate supply chains' overarching
control over its maneuvers," he says. "The long-term goal is to apply advanced
and integrated technologies to transform agricultural and municipal wastes from
an environmental liability into a public and private asset."